Review: Dinner At Yak & Yeti Restaurant In Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The backstory of this Animal Kingdom eatery is as rich and in depth as its cuisine. Located in the Asia section of the Park, the structure is one that could be found in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Here a former merchant named Arjun has turned his opulent home into a haven for travelers. The exotic boutique hotel is filled with an eclectic mix of art and artifacts that Arjun has collected over the years from travels in Southeast Asia. At the center of this mythical hotel is the full-service Yak & Yeti Restaurant.

Yak and Yeti Restaurant

Let's take a look inside this staple of Disney's Animal Kingdom table service restaurant line-up.

The interior seating at Yak & Yeti is situated on two floors, with several dining rooms on each floor, each having its own personality. The exotic ambiance of Yak & Yeti is created in part by lavish wood carvings and ornate lighting, as well as gilded statues of mysterious gods. Ornate decorative pieces are flamboyant yet somehow the rooms come together to create a comfortable and intimate setting without pretense.

We sat in a room at the front of the building with broad windows looking out upon a rock sculpture and tree covered in prayer flags. This space had the feel of a "sun room" in the lodgings as the rays shine brightly during the day filling it with light. It's an easy spot to while away the time watching people walking by, or getting their picture taken by a nearby PhotoPass photographer.

Eclectic Interior SeatingArt and Artifacts From Across Southern Asia

Yak & Yeti is run by the Landry's restaurant group, and you realize something is a little different when you sit down at the table. Though we found the staff just as attentive as at any Disney run restaurant, on each of the tables you will find flyers encouraging you to enroll in the Landry's frequent guest program. We found this just slightly jarring as we were pulled out of the fantasy of the space by the promotional material.

The menu at Yak & Yeti Restaurant is Asian fusion with a decidedly American bent. Dishes ranges from Chicken Tikka Masala and Seafood Curry, to a Dim Sum Basket or Crispy Honey Chicken. For those with less adventurous taste buds there is a Kobe Beef Burger that I've heard called one of the best burgers on property. The offerings here may be diverse, but don't let that scare you off because the quality at Yak & Yeti is consistently solid.

We started off with cocktails. The Kiwi Kimono is bright green with a big fruity flavor that's just a bit tart. The Pink Himalayan was a refreshing mix of ruby red grapefruit juice and gin that felt grown-up and quenching. You can read more about them in our previous article Drinks At Yak & Yeti Bar In Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Kiwi Kimono & Pink Himalayan

For appetizers we ordered pot stickers and breaded wok-fried green beans. Both arrived at our table hot and in portion sizes made for sharing. The two dishes were pretty straightforward as far as flavor goes. They were solidly good, but not better than anything we would get back home. The memorable part of appetizers was the soy lime dipping sauce, both of us found to be fantastic on both the potstickers and green beans.

Pot Sticker BasketDeep Fried Green Beans

Tori ordered the Honey Chicken, which is a Tempura chicken, fresh vegetables tossed in honey sauce served with jasmine rice.

I had the Korean Beef, a wok-fried beef with peppers, onions, pineapple, and a Korean BBQ sauce. This was accompanied with a side of jasmine rice and I found it fantastic. The server had warned us that it was very hot, but I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food and I didn't have a problem with it at all.

Both of the entrees offered ample portions, neither of us was able to finish. Had we not had several hours still at the Park we would have been very happy to take the left over back to our room.

Honey ChickenKorean Beef

We got our desserts to go, so I forgot to take pictures of them. My thanks to the DFB for sharing their pictures with us. We indulged in them later as we sat waiting for Rivers of Light. Tori had the mango pie, which came highly recommended. She enjoyed the mango pie very much, it was very sweet with a light mango flavor. I had the pineapple upside down cake, which is one of my favorite cakes, and it didn't disappoint.

Mango Pie Is Always RecommendedPineapple Upside Down Cake

In addition to the table service Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Arjun's fictional hotel has become a centerpiece for the mystical town of Anandapur that thrives around it. Guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom can also enjoy delicious foods from the counter service Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes, and shopping in Bhaktapur Market gift shop. This charming area in Animal Kingdom's Asia is a lively and vibrant piece of the Park, and is home to some of my favorite sights and sounds.

Overall we loved our meal at Yak & Yeti, and found that and early seating here allowed us to sit back and relax before tackling Animal Kingdom after the sun went down. The food was delicious and service friendly. Have you been to Yak & Yeti? Leave a comment below and share your favorite dish!